Do you know how to eat a low-protein diet?

When it comes to protein, the first thing that comes to mind is the delicious and diverse meat dishes, and children love meat. However, for some rare diseases, such as phenylketonuria, methylmalonic aciduria, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, as well as common diseases such as renal insufficiency and diabetic nephropathy, it is necessary to pay attention to strictly control protein intake to avoid aggravating the progression of the disease or increasing the burden on the kidneys.

1. How much protein does each food contain?

Generally speaking, our daily food sources include cereals and potatoes, vegetables, livestock and poultry meat, fish and shrimp, eggs, milk, beans, nuts, oils and fats, etc. Each food contains different proteins and has different nutritional values.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (WS/T 557-2017), each portion of protein can be classified as 7-4-1-0g. The average weight of each food is as follows. The specific protein content can be referred to the food composition table:

1. Meat, fish, eggs, milk, and beans contain relatively high levels of protein and are also a source of high-quality protein. Each serving contains about 7 grams of protein. Although these foods are high-quality proteins, they should be appropriately limited in intake considering their relatively high protein content.

2. The proteins in vegetables and fruits are not high-quality proteins, but they are rich in dietary fiber and minerals, so we should also ensure a certain intake. Generally speaking, a serving of leafy vegetables contains 4 grams of protein, while a serving of melon vegetables and fruits contains about 0-1 gram of protein. For people on a low-protein diet, at least half of the vegetables they eat every day should come from melon vegetables, such as winter melon, cucumber, loofah, zucchini, etc.

3. Cereal and potato foods are the main source of staple food and our main intake of non-high-quality protein. Usually, one serving contains 4 grams of protein. Starchy foods such as corn starch, wheat starch, lotus root starch, vermicelli, vermicelli, potato flour, rice noodles, etc., contain less protein, about 0-1 grams of protein per serving. For people who need to limit protein, this type of low-protein starchy food can be made into different foods according to the situation and reasonably distributed among three meals and snacks. For example, you can mix lotus root starch, make shrimp vermicelli, fried potato flour, fried rice noodles, etc. You can also use corn starch, wheat starch, and ordinary flour, mixed in a certain proportion, to make steamed buns, pancakes, shrimp dumplings, etc.

4. Cooking oil does not contain protein, so if there is no abnormal blood lipids, the amount can be increased appropriately to ensure sufficient calories, and it can also help regulate the taste of food.

2. How to eat low-protein foods

Considering that common ingredients in life generally contain a certain amount of protein, so for patients with strict protein restrictions, ordinary food is difficult to meet the requirements of a low-protein diet, and it is difficult to control the amount of protein when processing natural foods at home. At this time, you may wish to choose low-protein foods.

Below, taking the low-protein foods developed by Shanghai Institute of Pediatrics and Shanghai Xinhua Hospital as an example, we will introduce some common low-protein foods and daily matching methods.

1. Low-protein or even zero-protein noodles and steamed bread can be eaten as the main food for dinner. With the same weight of 100 grams of food, low-protein noodles and steamed bread can reduce the intake of protein in natural food by about 7-10 grams. For the saved protein, some non-vegetarian dishes containing high-quality protein, such as meat, fish, eggs, etc., can be appropriately added to meet the patient's desire for non-vegetarian dishes and increase the intake of essential amino acids.

2. Low-protein foods such as steamed cakes and cookies are especially suitable for snacks. If the disease permits, they can be paired with some dairy products. This can not only reduce the intake of protein in natural foods and ensure energy intake, but also enrich the variety of daily food, improve dietary satisfaction and compliance with low-protein diets.

Although these low-protein foods are specially processed foods, their taste is highly acceptable, such as soft and delicious steamed buns, smooth and chewy noodles, sweet and delicious steamed cakes, and crispy cookies. So if family members are worried about the patient being "treated specially", they can also consider eating together as a family!

(III) Tips for remembering a low-protein diet

Finally, let's summarize the precautions for a low-protein diet! Considering the differences in age and disease, the specific intake of each type of food and low-protein food should be designed under the guidance of doctors and nutritionists at the clinical nutrition department.

One egg and a cup of milk ensure high-quality protein.

A common amount for a meat dish. Adjust the amount according to the disease.

One pound of vegetables is one fist of fruit, and half the amount of melons and vegetables.

The intake of staple food should be appropriate, and low-protein food should be seen every day.

The amount of salt used in cooking should be controlled, and natural ingredients enhance the flavor.

If you do not have high sugar or high blood lipids, increase the amount of oil and sugar appropriately.

If you have a lot of questions and no one to turn to, the nutrition team is here to meet you.

References:

1. National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Dietary Guidelines for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (WS/T 557—2017).

2. The picture is from Shanghai Institute of Pediatrics, Internet.

Author: Niu Yang, Zhang Yajie, Sheng Jinye

Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Project source: Shanghai Health Science Popularization Youth Talent Project (JKKPYC-2022-06)